


Urban Legend Investigators: Naive Youths

by KingKagura



Series: Urban Legends Investigators AU [1]
Category: Durarara!!
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Deeper story to come, F/F, F/M, Friendship, I've never watched ghost hunters, In story world-building, Izaya is Izaya but..., Kyouhei is actually focused on, Like Ghost Hunters... but not, M/M, Mostly world-building and friendship/adventure time, Multi, Part 1 of series, Raijin Days, Shinra isn't (as) crazy (probably), Shizuo is normal, Supernatural Elements, Urban Legends Investigators AU, Very Canon Divergent, this isn't the Durarara you know of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:48:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25820887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KingKagura/pseuds/KingKagura
Summary: The moon was huge that night—like an omen. Though it didn't so much as illuminate the busy Ikebukuro streets, it did shine a spotlight down on that roof they stood on—on the building they had first methimon.Looking back, Shizuo pinpointed that it was at this moment that something had begun to change. Like a switch had been flipped and gears which were turning in one direction spun the opposite. But, Shinra thought differently.Perhaps, it was always fated that the course would take this path. Events from the beginning of their individual lives to when their paths intertwined and to the present were all for the sake of the present and this future. Or—at least, that was what Shinra believed.Let's rewind to "the beginning".This was a tale of twisted circumstances. Perhaps, in another world things would have been different, but - in this one - their paths intertwined as such. Not knowing what their future held, they treaded - together.
Relationships: Heiwajima Shizuo/Kobayashi Hana (Original Character), Heiwajima Shizuo/Orihara Izaya, Kadota Kyouhei/Kon (Original Character), Kishitani Shinra/Celty Sturluson, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Series: Urban Legends Investigators AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1873477
Comments: 3
Kudos: 17





	1. Boy That Lives of the Suicide Forum - 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was inspired a bit by [_Ghost Hunt Club_](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19169731/chapters/45566050) by thedollars666! (Please read it if you haven't, it's super good!) Though that was only the urban legends investigation part. I wanted to focus a bit more on the supernaturals roaming around Ikebukuro in general and then ideas started flowing and I was like "Huh, let's spice things up a bit..." and changed a bunch of stuff and now it's like this whole big other world!  
> Anyways, the thing is, this story is canon divergent but still has some canon events present. This will be shown more later on though.  
> So far, I plan to write three "parts" to this whole series. This will be the first part! The High School Days.  
> I hope you all enjoy!

The moon was huge that night—like an omen. Though it didn't so much as illuminate the busy Ikebukuro streets, it did shine a spotlight down on that roof they stood on—on the building they had first met _him_ on. 

Looking back, Shizuo pinpointed that it was at this moment that something had begun to change. Like a switch had been flipped and gears which were turning in one direction spun the opposite. But, Shinra thought differently. 

Perhaps, it was always fated that the course would take this path. Events from the beginning of their individual lives to when their paths intertwined and to the present were all for the sake of the present and this future. Or—at least, that was what Shinra believed. 

Let's rewind to "the beginning".

~ ~ ~

Kishitani Shinra stood at the corner of the dojo, far away from the crowd lined up along the fence, watching the practice taking place. Shinra didn’t watch, he had no need to yet. So, instead, he had his little notepad and a pencil out, rereading the notes he had made on the urban legends he has been investigating. 

Flipping through that small pad, there was an assortment of different rumors that Shinra had either already explored or had yet to. Amongst that list was the Black Rider. 

The _Black Rider_ , a phantom clad in black that roamed the streets of Ikebukuro on a black motorcycle. Those that witnessed the bike in action recounted how there was no roar of an engine, instead only a neigh echoed into the night. 

Shinra had only been able to catch glimpses of the mysterious urban legend ever since he was a child. However, he was unable to get any closer to the enigma. How he longed to, though! But, today, he wouldn’t be pursuing the speedy urban legend. Instead, he had other plans and that was why he needed to wait. 

All of a sudden, squeals bursting from the side snapped Shinra from his thoughts. It was the signal for what the glasses-clad boy was waiting for. Shinra took a peek at the training field, as best as he could just to get a glimpse, which was difficult over the wall of girls and boys pressing along the fence. However, the brunette managed the feat anyways, just in time to catch sight of the one he had been waiting for. 

A tall and handsome teenage boy with fluffy chocolate brown hair stood stoic and poised. The loud cheers from the fence did not waver the concentration in his dark honey eyes as they stared forward at the target on the opposite side. Gracefully, his muscular arms raised the wooden bow, holding it firm as he stretched the bowstring with the arrow in hand. His fans went silent and some even held their breath as the boy’s concentration flowed into them. The tension in them heightened the atmosphere, but the boy did not show any concern for it. His attention was too focused on whatever he was aiming at. 

It’s in moments like this one that Shinra vaguely wondered what the brunette archer, his friend Heiwajima Shizuo, was “seeing”. He would have pondered on it longer, but these moments only last for so little time. 

Shizuo released the arrow. 

The arrow flew straight from him to the opposite end, right into the center of the target—the bullseye. Calmly, Shizuo did not celebrate, unlike the crowd outside watching him, and instead exhaled a breath and followed the formal archery sport procedures of lowering his bow. The only thing he let slip was a deep breath he released almost silently.

Mirroring, Shinra could feel a small breath being released from his chest—one that he had not known he held. It was always amazing to see Shizuo’s club activities. Though archery and any sport was not Shinra’s cup of tea, he did admit that there was a certain appeal to them. Or, perhaps that only applied to archery given how he had listened to Shizuo’s stories of it since the boy first joined the club back in late elementary school. Despite this, the glasses-wearing boy quickly lost interest as soon as it wasn’t his friend’s turn.

When it wasn’t Shizuo’s turn to practice, Shinra would turn away from the field and back to his notepad. He occupied himself like that during the long hours of his childhood friend’s practice, losing himself to his own thoughts until a change in the background chattering caught his attention. The shift in the atmosphere marked that practice was over and Shizuo was exiting the dojo. 

Though their school’s archery club was quite esteemed, Shizuo was likely the most popular of the club. He had regular fans who came to watch his every practice and tournament with banners and matching cheering outfits. Though, Shizuo’s popularity didn’t stop there. The tall brunette had had many admirers since elementary school, though upon hitting puberty, this only skyrocketed. Shinra couldn’t even begin to count the number of confessions Shizuo regularly received. Though, his friend always turned them down. He didn’t seem interested in anything but archery.

Well, Shinra wasn't one to talk. He was the same with urban legends, after all. 

"Ah, Shinra." The familiar baritone drew the glasses-clad teen back to reality. Looking up from his notepad, Shinra found Shizuo now next to him with his bag over one shoulder and a flock of fans far behind him still swooning. 

Shinra, of course, ignored them and gave a small wave. "Yo, Shizuo-kun!~" 

"You didn't have to wait out here, you could have come inside." 

"True," Shinra nodded nonchalantly as he and Shizuo began to walk away from the dojo. "But, I don’t want to get stampeded on by your fans when you get out."

"Well, isn't that rough for you," deadpanned Shizuo.

"Yep! Especially, when you have some pretty strong admirers—" The glasses-clad boy assented, "—girls and boys alike."

"Oh, shut it!" The taller teen snapped, "It's not like I asked them to wait for me…"

"True, Shizuo-kun just tends to attract them!" acceded Shinra as he waved his finger in the air. "Plus, as your childhood friend, I tend to be easily swept into things." 

"My bad…" Shizuo rubbed the back of his neck. He looked guilty only for a moment, but this guilt quickly turned into an accusation. "But, you asked for half of those and you know it!" 

"Yep!" Shinra readily agreed, not minding the allegation. Instead, his attention was on another thought. "Oh, Shizuo—"

"Hey, Heiwajima! On your way out?" Unfortunately, Shinra was rudely interrupted by the loud voice of Shizuo’s clubmate. The more muscular guy jogged up to the two, entirely ignoring the glasses-wearing boy’s presence. 

Shizuo looked pinched at that but didn’t say anything. "Yeah, you too?"

"Gotta run or else my girlfriend is going to scream. See you!" The guy seemed to have been in a hurry, yet he still took the time to stop by and chat with Shizuo before he left. 

"Don't rush so much that you run into traffic!" Shizuo called out to his clubmate as he rushed off, waving back. Shizuo returned with a small wave before he turned his attention back to his childhood friend. "Sorry about that, Shinra. What were you saying?"

Shinra had been patiently waiting for the clubmate to leave, not making a single sound of protest despite how he had been treated. He wasn’t the type who cared about those things; it was simply easier to just allow them to come and go. More importantly, was what he had to share with his friend: "Actually, there was this certain rumor that I—"

Shizuo’s sigh cut him off. "Not _this_ again…" The taller teen groaned, exasperated before he solidly responded with a "no."

"Eh?! But you didn't even hear me out until the end!" Shinra squawked a protest. 

Familiar with his childhood friend’s demeanor, Shizuo relented. "Shinra, you can't keep chasing those mysteries of yours forever." He shook his head as he recalled the previous times he had allowed Shinra to drag him along on those adventures of his. "Majority of the time we end up investigating shit that leads us to trouble!"

"But, Shizuo-kun! Isn't that the fun of mysteries?! The adventures we face as we unravel them…! Even if they seem like nothing, they could be something! Don’t you see the beauty of that?!" 

Shizuo silently listened to his friend ramble on, allowing the boy to keep speaking until he ran out of breath as he contemplated his words. "Yeah, I guess…” Begrudgingly, he could only agree, though that didn’t mean he was just going to surrender. “But, the answer is still no." 

"Come on! Please?" Shinra pleaded with his hands folded together. "Please?"

Shizuo glowered at his friend only to exhale a resignation. "... fine. I'll hear you out at least." 

"Yay!” The glasses-clad brunette threw his hands in the air in celebration, “Woohoo!"

"I only said I'd hear you out!” The taller teen snapped, a bit embarrassed. “No promises!"

Despite his childhood friend’s insistence, Shinra proceeded as if he had already agreed. "I knew you would come through for me, Shizuo-kun!" 

"Just get to the point." Shizuo gave in, knowing that there was no stopping the glasses-clad teen now. 

Instantly, Shinra switched from celebrating to explaining. "Actually, recently there has been this rumor going around…" The two teens stopped at a traffic light, waiting for the sign to change. “It’s become a bit of an urban legend this past year… called _The Boy that Lives_.” 

“That’s a weird name.” 

“Right? But, it’s easier to understand once you get the context!” Shinra started and Shizuo gave him a raised brow of interest. The glasses-clad teen smirked smugly, flipping on his story-telling switch. “You see, the urban legend comes from a certain suicide forum.” 

_The Boy that Lives_ … he approached people online like any other who were looking for group suicide meetings, yet those who met with this boy all lived to tell the tale. “He lived!” They screamed in fear and bewilderment. The boy had lived despite falling off a tall building and the ominous blood splurt on the dirty ground below stayed burned into the minds of those who witnessed it. 

“How disturbing.” Shizuo narrowed his eyes as the traffic light signaled them to cross. 

Shinra only grinned at this response, “Right?” 

“And?” The taller brunette scratched the back of his head. He looked displeased, perturbed by the urban legend. Just imagining it made his gut turn, unsettled. “You want to find this guy?” 

“Don’t you!” It was more of a statement than a question. Shinra was smirking knowingly as they reached the end of the crosswalk. “It’s interesting, plus relatively harmless compared to the others! Let’s investigate it!” 

One look at the spectacled teen told Shizuo that the boy wouldn’t back down. Shinra has always had an interest in urban legends since they were toddlers and the boy tended towards more danger than Shizuo could count; and, afterward, he would continue to seek such dangers. It didn’t help that there was no one but Shizuo to stop him either. Shizuo contemplated the idea for a moment. It was true that this one seemed less dangerous than the others; the witnesses were all alive from how the rumor held, plus it was likely to be some kid’s prank. Furthermore, if it would get Shinra to stop looking at him with puppy-dog eyes then it wouldn’t be too bad of an exchange. 

With his mind made up, Shizuo sighed in resignation. “Alright. I’ll tag along.” Shinra instantly beamed at this, but before he could chirp back, the taller teen added. “But, if it looks dangerous for even a second we’re getting out of there.” 

Despite the last added clause to their agreement, Shinra didn’t look opposed to it at all. “I knew you would say that, Shizuo-kun!” 

~ ~ ~

> Kubi: I can’t stand this any longer!
> 
> Psyche: I’m no longer counting days, either.
> 
> Kubi: Then, shall we tonight?
> 
> Psyche: Alright.
> 
> Psyche: Let’s meet here:
> 
> <external link>

~ ~ ~

“To think he would choose a place like this…!” Shinra commented as he panted. His limbs were heavy from climbing the long line of stairs towards the rooftop of the abandoned building he and Shizuo had entered. 

It wasn’t all that isolated. In fact, it was only on the other side to a busy street block; though, this side of the neighborhood was rather barren unlike that of the building over. A place in the city that didn’t particularly stand out, yet was accepted for having certain episodes. Things like kidnappings, suicides, even murder could take part in such a place. Yet, here they were, chasing after an urban legend in such a place.

Shizuo sighed, climbing ahead of his unathletic friend. “Will that guy even show up?” 

“Of course…!” Shinra wheezed. He was far too out of breath for only climbing up three flights of stairs at the slow pace Shizuo had been setting and even adjusting for the glasses-clad teen. “... he…! Will!” With each step, Shinra punctuated on a word until he reached the top of the staircase where the other brunette had been waiting for him, just in front of the door to the roof. The exhausted boy clung to the wall as he hyperventilated to catch his breath before he continued. “Rumors say he always shows up no matter what!”  
“Yeah, but that’s just rumors,” Shizuo was skeptical about the whole thing. 

To the more uninterested teen, it likely seemed more like some large ruse people were spreading since they were bored rather than a true urban legend - supernatural - that Shinra wanted. Well, there was only a door between them and the truth. Whether or not the tale was true and that there truly is a boy with the ability to escape the clutches of death - that was something Shinra was dying to know. 

“Alright, ready?” Shizuo prompted, drawing Shinra’s attention back to him and his hand on the door handle. 

The glasses-clad brunette nodded, “Yeah.” His resolve was made long ago. There was no need to hold back. He would discover the truth! 

Shizuo twisted the doorknob and pushed open the door. Their vision was flooded with the usual Ikebukuro night and a barren rooftop; just a mix of concrete and metal. Despite the time and the lack of street lights, the area was well lit. The moon was huge that night—like an omen. Though it didn't so much as illuminate the busy Ikebukuro streets, it did shine a spotlight down on that roof they stood on. 

There, they met _him_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, how was it? I hope it suited your tastes/piqued your interests!~  
> There is much much more coming where this one did!
> 
> Please leave a comment and kudos! I would love to hear what you think of the story and how it may progress!~


	2. Boy That Lives of the Suicide Forum - 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took a bit to finish writing this chapter since I got stuck by the start of school and a depression swing, but here it is! I hope you all enjoy!~

The rooftop was empty when Shizuo and Shinra stepped onto it. Treading past the entrance, both teens surveyed the barren area but came up empty. There was no one in sight beyond each other. 

“See? What did I say?” Shizuo huffed, grumbling as he glared around the roof before turning toward his childhood friend. “He wasn’t going to show up.” 

“Eh?! But rumors said…” Shinra was equally disappointed, if not more so. The glasses-clad teen held a gloomy look as he puzzled over the situation they had found themselves in. He checked his phone, desperate for some sort of clue. “... It’s the right address, too…” 

Shizuo sighed. It was just as he had suspected. This whole thing was a ruse and whoever had called them out had chickened on them without even playing the prank or were laughing at them from afar. Regardless, Shizuo wasn’t going to just let them stick around for someone that wasn’t even going to show up. “Let’s just go. There’s no use wasting time here—” 

“To think Kubi-san was actually two people,” A smooth voice as silky as velvet rung through the air, clearing up the earlier cloud of nerves, disappointment, and irritation all in one fell swoop. Shizuo’s attention whipped to the source. 

Tuffs of raven black were the first thing to catch Shizuo’s eye. The way it seemed to be so full of color yet could engulf the world in its darkness was as mystifying as it was perturbing. Next, it was carmine eyes that reflected the moon's shine; an eerie gleam within them Shizuo couldn’t pinpoint at the time. Lastly, it was that amused smirk that hadn't even come close to the teen's eyes. 

_Enchanting_ —that was the delicate-looking raven before him. 

Perhaps, it was at that moment that Shizuo had unconsciously realized he would never be able to forget this encounter. 

A dark-haired boy - one who couldn’t be much older than Shizuo and Shinra themselves - stood above them on the roof of the entrance. He peered down at the two brunettes with a confident smirk as if he were challenging them to something, but to what Shizuo did not know. 

“Oh no! I’m Kubi!” As if not sensing the change in atmosphere at all, Shinra corrected the newcomer “Could you be Psyche-san?” 

“Yours truly.” The teen - Psyche - answered airily, before he jumped down. 

The whole scene blew Shizuo’s breath away. 

It was almost like he was floating through the night sky; flying. Psyche’s lithe form held a certain elegance to it as he gracefully landed on his two feet and gave them a small smile. “I suppose you two didn’t truly come to ponder upon life and death, then?” The raven probed like a question but was more of an observation. “Let me guess… you guys came for _The Boy that Lives_ , right?” His sharp eyes carefully marked them as if the teen was searching for something, only to meet Shizuo’s own gaze. The raven-haired teen’s red-tinted eyes appeared more brown with less lighting from the moon above them. Yet, they still had this particular gleam to them that unsettled Shizuo. 

_Like he could see through them._

The taller brunette narrowed his eyes at the thought, while Shinra applauded the other boy’s entrance. “Yeah! We came to see if the rumors were true!” The glasses-clad teen was never one to read the room - or, rather, he read it and promptly ignored it. He wasn’t one for tact. “How did you guess?” 

“It’s rather simple when you’ve seen so many _humans_ who wandered that path.” Psyche shrugged with a laugh as if pondering about life and death was a joke. “There’s a certain… Let's see fragrance…? No, pheromone to them. There are many humans out there - even just here in Ikebukuro - who pioneer through the journey known as life.” The teen began to elaborate as he wandered over to the rooftop edge, hopping onto it. 

“Hey, that’s dangerous!” Shizuo instinctively reprimanded the other only to be ignored with a laugh. 

“What is it like to die? What is the worth of this world - our lives? What is the meaning of this perseverance through the everyday?” Psyche listed off the questions as he carefully toed across the rooftop edge, swaying back and forth. “Such intriguing questions indeed.” He chuckled, shaking his head before he tilted back to throw them a grin. “But, you two didn’t come here for that.” 

“Yeah!” Shinra beamed as he approached where Psyche stood on the edge with Shizuo in tow. “I’d love to hear your opinion as someone made out to be an urban legend!” 

Shizuo grimaced at the other brunette’s tactless nature. He was much more concerned for Psyche’s sanity than that. The raven was spouting nonsense like how suicidal people have a scent or something and ridiculous philosophical questions while giggling on the edge of a rooftop. He definitely had some sort of screw loose - or many of them - probably worse than his childhood friend. Yet, why was he not stopping this guy? 

There was just something about Psyche that _enchanted_ him; drawing him in with some sort of mysterious allure and making him freeze up, unable to do a thing he would do for any other person. 

Was it his eyes? The way they were misted over, yet the shine of curiosity did not dwindle and instead shined brightly from beyond the scarlet-tinted depths. Or, was it his graceful form, which could surely draw the attention of any regular bystander? Nonetheless, whatever it was, it left Shizuo with an odd tinge. 

It was as if he could feel the world going on another course; spinning in a new direction. 

A weird clenching to his chest and his gut screamed to run. Yet, Shizuo didn’t run. He would face whatever it was Psyche brought out head-on. 

“Well, it isn’t like I have much of an opinion on the matter. It’s just talk you humans came up with—” Psyche shrugged as he twirled around so he faced them. His eyes crinkled as he smiled mysteriously. That odd gleam in his eyes shined brighter, causing Shizuo to falter before those words even left the raven’s mouth. “—Or, is it?” 

The ominous question was left to hang as the elusive raven disappeared. Shizuo’s eyes widened. 

He had fallen. 

It happened all too fast. One second, Psyche was there with them on the roof, standing on the edge. The next, he wasn’t. 

Both brunettes rushed over to the edge of the rooftop in a panic. 

“Hey!” A shout unconsciously escaped Shizuo as he hastily scanned the area below, only for his breath to hitch. 

The raven was jumping unscathed from the building’s drain, looking up at them. Seeing the two other teens, Psyche gave them a wave as he beamed up at them and maneuvered down the building with great grace, using the surroundings to aid him in the parkour down. Then, once he had landed on the dark alley floor, right on top of a large black splatter mark - leftovers, the raven-haired teen nonchalantly threw them a smirk. 

Shinra whistled at the sight as the glasses-clad brunette processed what had just happened. “Well, that answers how he always comes out alive.” 

Shizuo couldn’t even retort; he was so winded about the whole episode. His heart was beating hard against his ribs as he breathed heavily in an effort to calm his body from the sudden rush of adrenaline that had hit him when he saw the dark-haired teen fall off the roof. In some weird sense of desperation, the taller brunette’s eyes didn’t leave the raven below as if by drinking up the sight of the other unscathed could somehow send messages to his brain that everything was alright and what had happened just now was no issue at all. 

Yes, there was no issue at all. No issue besides the fact that the crazy guy on the street below them just jumped off the roof to prove a stupid rumor. This was ridiculous! 

“Now, then, if we aren’t going to discuss more, I suppose it’s time for us to part ways,” Psyche shouted from below before throwing them a casual wave and turning toward the busy street. “It was nice meeting you Kubi-san and plus one!”

Like that, the raven left the two brunettes back on the roof under the ominous moon. At that time, Shizuo nor Shinra had no idea just how much their world was about to change from this one encounter. 

~ ~ ~

That encounter stayed on Shizuo’s mind for a while, though the weeks of vacation that followed were hardly affected. He upheld his usual routine, regularly practicing archery, then spending most of what remained of his free time with his little brother, Kasuka, or Shinra. The days seemed to fly by, counting down towards the new school year and - for Shizuo - the start of his high school life. 

When young, children believe in milestones. Birthdays, coming-of-age, graduations—such events are enthralling to a child; however, they are quick to learn the mundane-ness in even these celebrated occasions when growing up. Like any other kid, Shizuo admired adulthood. But, now, as he walked toward Raijin Academy - the new setting of his academic career - he could only find it lackluster. 

It didn’t take long for Shizuo to realize how over-glorified high school was. 

Certainly, Spring was a season of new beginnings. The blossoming sakura were as if to cheer for those struggling to even bud and push them to bloom. Shizuo could appreciate the beauty of the blossoms. But, as he stared out the window in the hallway, peering down at those entering the school from below, Shizuo realized how little had changed since he was last in school. Change isn’t something that can happen so quickly, especially not with everyone. 

Shizuo was one of those who hadn’t grown. 

Despite having donned a high school uniform, standing tall within the halls of Raijin Academy, he was still the same Heiwajima Shizuo that had graduated junior high only a few short months ago. The transformation into a high school student seemed like only a matter of formality. There were many like him who hadn’t changed much. A good example was his good friend, Shinra. He was still the same-old supernatural-obsessed kid from elementary school, the only difference now in the form of having grown into a supernatural-obsessed high schooler instead. 

Regardless of how there are those who seem to stay in place, there are also those whose lives change substantially through even the slight change in setting that high school offers. Whether the person themself was conscious of it or not, this transition was occurring. 

Shizuo’s gaze was drawn away by a fluttering sakura petal. His brown eyes followed its dance, down the front courtyard only for his attention to be stolen by something else. Amongst the great number of blue blazer-clad students, there were few in a black gakuran: the uniform from Raijin's junior high. Though Shizuo usually didn’t pay special detail to the people entering the school, this one student caught his eye—a blazer-clad dark-haired boy. 

Shizuo was familiar with that form, seeing it from far above. The brunette stared at the raven teen as he stopped in the middle of the courtyard and tilted his head back and stopped his gaze straight in Shizuo’s direction. 

_Psyche._

Shizuo could likely recognize that teen’s face anywhere, even from how far away he was or how the scenery was different from that night. No matter the setting, there was still the constant mysterious feeling that welled up in his gut at the sight of the other. 

As if he was something that didn’t belong in this world. 

However, what was most perturbing was how the other boy was staring back at him. It was almost as if the other had felt his gaze and met it. But, surely, that couldn’t be it. Shizuo was far higher in elevation than the teen. Yet, with how the boy stared back at him, it was almost as if he did. No—

Psyche smiled at him from down below. 

— _surely_ , he did. 

“Good morning, Shizuo-kun!” A chirpy voice snapped Shizuo from his thoughts, causing the tall brunette to turn toward his childhood friend. 

Shinra had suddenly appeared behind him, causing the taller teen to flinch. “Woah—oh, it’s just Shinra…” 

“Hey! What do you mean by ‘just Shinra’!” The glasses-clad brunette fake-fumed before he broke into laughter, quickly doing away with his little charade. “What’s up with you? High school making you so nervous that you’re spacing out? Usually, you can spot my presence from a mile away!” That was an exaggeration. Though it was true that Shizuo had enhanced instincts and awareness of his surroundings and even if the air around Shinra had always been especially odd, Shizuo could not magically sense the other from such a large distance. 

“No, I’m not nervous.” Shizuo collected himself though he threw a scowl at Shinra for even suggesting the idea. Sure, before competitions he may get nervous, but not for something like just entering high school—though, he didn’t want to admit that prior to arriving on campus he had some butterflies in his stomach. “It’s just I saw that Psyche-guy in the courtyard.” He explained, pointing toward the window he had been staring out of. 

“Psyche-san?” Shinra curiously blinked before he swiftly peered out the window. “Where? Where?” The glasses-clad brunette shook his head from side-to-side and up-and-down in search of the raven-haired teen they had met earlier during Spring vacation. “I don’t see him?”

“Huh? He’s standing over the...re…” Shizuo had moved to show Shinra just where he had seen the boy, only to find him missing from where he stood only a moment ago. “He’s gone...” 

“Aww, man… I must have missed him.” The spectacled teen sulked, but the moment of gloom quickly washed away as Shinra’s spirit jumped back up. “Well! If he’s here, then we’ll see him around.” The brunette beamed, “But, first, we should probably head to class!” 

“It’s already that time?” questioned Shizuo as he pulled out his cell phone. Just as Shinra had noted, there were only ten minutes left before the bell would signal for class. 

Shinra skipped ahead of him, “We better head over so we aren’t late on the first day.” 

“Yeah, and detention on the first day.” Shizuo quipped as he joined his friend. 

Shinra laughed, “Well if we do at least we have an excuse to stay behind at school! Did you know that there are various mysteries about Raijin Academy, Shizuo-kun?”

“Oh?” Shizuo prompted his friend with a raise of his eyebrow.

It was the first day of their high school career, yet nothing seemed to have changed. It was the same as back in junior high. Shizuo listened as Shinra would share his knowledge on the odd tales of the paranormal on their way to class; not knowing just how much his life would be changing after this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is only the beginning!!! The next chapter is what I'm super excited about! Thank you for reading!


	3. Boy That Lives of the Suicide Forum - 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At last, I've managed to finish writing this chapter!  
> Please enjoy!

"What do you live for?" 

The question evaporated into the chilly late March night air. Even with Spring being sprung and the near transition from March to April, the Winter chill continued to linger in the night, hidden from the bright warmth of daylight. Especially on nights like this, the raven felt curious. Perhaps, that was what encouraged him to ask such a question.

"Live?" Laughed his associate, a teenage girl with brown hair not much older than him. She was the visage of instability. Her hair was messy, dark circles plagued the sensitive skin beneath her eyes, and her skin had a sickly pallor to it. "Aren't we here to die? Don't ask such stupid questions. Let's just get this over with." The girl leaned against the railing the boy sat on, peering at the ground below listlessly. "I don't want to stay in this world any longer…"

"Then, why are you here?"

"Again with the delay—"

"You aren’t answering my question." He stared at the girl’s profile as if he watched her longer he would be able to grasp the answer he sought— "Why are you still here when you want to leave? I'm not stopping you. You could leave whenever you'd like." 

—even though he knew he wouldn’t be able to.

The girl’s breath hitched as she visibly flinched at his words. She didn’t meet his solid gaze which probed her for words she wasn’t quite sure she had. No, she didn’t have them in the first place.

The boy walked on top of the ledge as he continued speaking, "It's fairly easy, you know. All you need to do is fall—" As if in temptation, he leaned back. Her breath caught in her throat at the daring sight. 

He was going to fall. 

No. He was falling— only for the raven teen to catch his balance and be standing back straight to peer into her wide eyes. " _—Splat!_ You'd be free." The boy dramatically threw his arms out to emphasize his point. The brunette girl jolted in surprise; her hands were cold. The boy threw a smile as he held his hand toward her. "Yet, here you are… what's stopping you, Kurasa-san?" 

As if to shake herself back into reality, the girl - Kurasa - shook her head. She stuttered, her composure from before crumbling as panic overtook her senses. "N-nothing…! I can do it—"

"Can you now?” The raven taunted the brunette, “You can leave behind everything: your family, your friends, your goals, your lovers—all of it…" 

He took a step back into the empty air. 

"... like this?"

A chill ran down Kurasa’s spine as her eyes widened and her mouth fell open. The boy, seeing this expression laughed to himself.

_Heh… again. They couldn't abandon—_

**Splat**.

A high-pitched scream resounded in the night of a lonely street as deep red, dark like black, painted the cold pavement. 

~ ~ ~

Izaya awoke to the darkness of twilight – the time of the morning directly before the rising of the sun at dawn. His room was dark with only the muffled light from the curtained window giving any sense of illumination. To the raven teen, darkness was familiar. His auburn eyes stared up at the ceiling as he laid in bed for a little longer, clinging to the little warmth his comforter provided. He was waiting for the inevitable. His alarm would go off at any minute now. 

Just as he had predicted, the alarm on his nightstand began to ring, and, with a swift reach, Izaya silenced it. It was another morning, but this one would surely be different.

After getting ready for the day ahead of him, Izaya passed by the racket his little sisters were making in their room and descended down the stairs. There, he found his mother sitting at the table, quietly eating breakfast beside his father. “Good morning.”

“Morning,” His father greeted him merrily as his mother quietly continued to eat, not even making eye contact with Izaya. The teen didn’t comment on this, instead, he went to gather his own breakfast as his father continued. “Today is your big day, huh.” 

“I’m not five,” Izaya laughed as he settled his breakfast plate on the table and sat across from his dad. Nonchalantly, he began to eat, “It’s only high school. There’s no need to make a big deal out of it.” 

“What do you mean? High school is a big deal, Izaya.” His father condoned him, “Be sure to play nice with your classmates.” 

“Yes, sir.~” Izaya gave a mock salute and, before his father could chide him on his behavior, they were interrupted by an abrupt chaotic storm of two little girls. 

"Iza-nii! Iza-nii!" Two energetic little girls chirped as they ran circles around the table, one with long hair chasing after the one with short hair. 

"Mairu, Kururi." At last, Izaya’s mother spoke. She directed her attention to her young twin daughters. "No running around the table."

"Okay!" Both responded at once but only the one with short hair went to sit at the table. 

The other toddled to a stop next to her brother instead and held up her little hands, in them were a pair of cute hair ties with cats on them. "Iza-nii…" 

Staring into those big pleading eyes, Izaya returned a smile. "Alright, Kururi. What style will it be today?" 

"Pigtails!" Kururi, the little girl with long hair, beamed as her brother took the hair ties from her small hands. Izaya then skillfully tied the little girl's hair neatly into high twintails. Once he was done, Kururi turned her head from side to side as her small hands felt the results of her brother’s work. "Thanks, Iza-nii!" With a little giggle, Kururi skipped over to sit next to her twin, Mairu. 

Mairu admired Kururi's hair as she ate her breakfast a bit messily. "Kuru-nee's hair 's so cute!" 

Izaya chuckled at the youngest's behavior. "Do you want me to do your hair too, Mairu?" He suggested as he finished up his breakfast. 

"No! It'll just be in the way!" Mairu remarked proudly. It was only recently that the more tomboyish of the two had her hair cut short – not by choice, despite how she insisted now. In truth, she had cried a river after her haircut. But, what else could they have done when she somehow managed to get gum stuck in the middle of her hair? The only way was to cut it. Thankfully though, after getting used to it, Mairu was attached to her short hair, liking it much more than she had initially. 

After finishing his meal, Izaya busted out his dishes, quickly washing them and setting them aside to dry. Then, after checking the time, he grabbed his bag he had prepared and headed for the front door. "I'll be going!" 

"Bye, bye!"

"Iza-nii, have a safe trip!" 

Mairu and Kururi chirped one after another as they saw him off. His father followed after them, "Have fun!" 

With a smile, Izaya headed out.

~ ~ ~

The path to school was refreshing. Most people wouldn't think of how basking under the morning sun is a privilege. 

Izaya covered the sunlight with his hand as he gazed up at the bright blue sky. The light made his pale fingers red in comparison, shining past the little gaps between them into his vision. He squinted. It was warm, warmer than he remembered it. The pale teen hadn’t seen daylight for years now. He had been forbidden from leaving the house even for the slightest of errands, even for family gatherings—ever since _that incident_ , Izaya had lived as a homebody. But, today marked the day of returned freedom. After those long five years of being locked out of sight from the world, Izaya was now free to walk amongst his fellow men without having to sneak behind his parents' back. 

Perhaps it was due to the nostalgia, but Izaya couldn’t help the little tingle of excitement in his veins as he engulfed the bright scenery and environment. The further he walked, the more students he saw in the school’s uniform attire of a blue blazer over a white shirt, similar to Izaya’s own. It was a sign that he was soon to reach Raijin Academy – where he will be studying for the next three years. 

It was truly a beautiful day, just perfect for a new beginning. Maybe a little _too_ perfect even. 

Izaya's smile dropped, morphing into an almost impassive expression. 

He inhaled a deep breath. The air was full of unbridled excitement, most seeping from the nervous energy of the fresh first-year students taking their first step onto the large campus. 

With an exhale, Izaya tilted his head back as he surveyed his new surroundings. His carmine eyes climbed up the school building's entrance up to its upper floors, where his gaze fell on a tall brunette teen. His lips lifted back into a smile. 

He had a feeling his days would truly change starting today. 

~ ~ ~

In accordance with the assigned seating, Izaya took the desk in the middle of the classroom. However, with time to spare, there wasn't much to do besides nervously playing with his thumbs at this point and, frankly, that would have only made the situation worse. Instead, he was more inclined to observe his new peers. 

To his left, there was a boy talking to his friends at his desk, likely ones from junior high that had elevated to high school together. The person in front of him had yet to show up, so in his line of sight instead were two brunettes – one with glasses sitting down and a tall one hovering over him. As for the right side, there was a girl with red hair and eyes leaning on her hand as she stared at the front of the room. She seemed bored as she waited for class to begin. Or, at least, until a long-haired brunette girl with blue eyes greeted her with a cheerful giggle, “Good morning, Mikage-chan!” 

“Hana, ‘morning.” The previously grumpy-looking redhead beamed at her friend and relaxed in her seat. “I thought you’d be late.” 

“As if! I won’t oversleep on the first day!” Hana harrumphed as she took the seat in front of her friend. 

Izaya watched Mikage roll her eyes. His gaze lingered, waiting for her response. Before she could give one, she paused, and, as if she felt his stare, she averted her eyes toward him. She opened her mouth – either to reply to the brunette or call him out for staring – that was uncertain. Either way, the attempt failed. The school bell interrupted her and alarmed the students to scurry to their seats before the instructor arrived. 

Izaya sat back and watched them. One in particular that caught his eye was the tall brunette he had seen earlier talking to the spectacled teen at the front. The taller teen seemed to freeze up when his golden-brown eyes landed on Izaya. This piqued his attention. 

It was unlikely there was anyone here that would have recognized Izaya from the past, but he couldn’t dismiss the off chance that someone did. Thankfully, the brunette didn't linger much longer and moved past Izaya, allowing the raven to breathe. 

Izaya wasn’t sure what he would do if someone who really did recognize him appeared. Was his new life about to end right before it even started?

Realistically, Izaya knew the answer. 

No, even if someone knew—who would _believe_ them? 

~ ~ ~

“Orihara-san!” 

As soon as class was over, Izaya found himself bombarded by a brunette wearing glasses. He quickly recognized the boy as the one he had seen sitting two seats in front of him. His name, if he recalled correctly, was— 

“Do you remember me?”

The question took Izaya aback, interrupting his train of thought. _Remember?_ _Could he be from back then?_ Initially, Izaya was alarmed, but he swiftly calmed himself. His new surroundings were making him too anxious. “I’m afraid I don’t recall… You’re… Kishitani, correct?” 

“Yes—no, not that!” The boy, Kishitani Shinra – as he now remembered – promptly agreed with a nod only to dismiss his own response. “It’s me ‘Kubi-san’, _Kubi_.” Shinra pointed to himself, “We met just two weeks ago, remember, Psyche-san?” 

Izaya had not been expecting to hear that name come out of his classmate – to think that there was one so close. Despite how big Ikebukuro was, these sorts of coincidences can occur. Or, should he call it _fate_?

"You won't say you don't remember right?" An abrupt interjection of a deeper voice stole Izaya’s attention from Shinra to the tall brunette that had been talking to the glasses-wearing brunette prior. Heiwajima Shizuo – Izaya remembered from introductions – peered down at him with a mixed look of curiosity and wariness. 

It was then that Izaya’s brain clicked. These two were familiar. _Kubi… two weeks ago… Psyche. Ah, the curious duo from that night._ Unlike his usual customers, those two had appeared before him; more interested in his existence itself rather than the crossings from life to death. 

Though, Izaya couldn’t afford to allow anyone to know what he was. 

"Ah, yes, I think I'm starting to remember now…" Izaya smiled as he turned his attention back to Shinra, "Kubi-san and his plus one! To think we would meet here." He laughed, "The world is a small place." 

"It really is! I didn't think we'd see you at Raijin of all places!" Shinra exclaimed excitedly to Izaya before turning to his tall friend, "Isn't this great Shizuo! We have another friend to join us in the investigation!"

 _Investigation?_ Izaya arched a brow at this curious phrase. In the first place, he had never even heard anything about this _investigation_ that Shinra spoke of. Secondly, he hadn't agreed to anything. 

"Idiot, did you even ask him first?" Shizuo is the first to react, reprimanding the other brunette. "Look at him! He's obviously confused." 

"Oh, sorry about that!" Quick to apologize, Shinra laughed good-heartedly as he rubbed the back of his head. "I got too ahead of myself there." 

"No worries." Izaya accepted the apology with a polite front. Despite how the sudden jump in the conversation had taken him by surprise, he couldn't help but be curious about what Shinra meant and what his goals were in approaching Izaya in the first place. "What was this about an _investigation_?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is still the beginning, but I hope you all will stay with me for the ride! It will be a long one full of adventure ;)  
> Please leave a kudos and a comment before you leave!


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